In a gaming house containing gaming machines such as pinball machines, a player plays games at a gaming machine and obtains game play media by winning games. The number of game play media won by the player is counted using a game play media counter, for example. The game play media counter records the count result on paper, such as thermosensible paper, using a recording head, and issues a receipt. For recording, digits and a bar code indicating the number of game play media are printed on paper, for example.
In such a gaming house, the player receives the receipt and can exchange the receipt for a prize equivalent to the number of game play media indicated on the receipt at an adjustment counter or window. The player may exchange the receipt for cash if such a transaction is legal.
Incidentally, the applicant proposed use of repeatedly usable recording media of card type in place of such receipts to avoid wasting of resources in Japanese patent Application No. Hei 3-272659 (Japanese patent Laid-Open No. Hei 5-111570, laid open to public on May 7, 1993) and Japanese atent Application No. Hei 3-260879 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 5-96058, laid open to public on Apr. 20, 1993). Since the recording media can be recycled, excellent effects of contributing to cost reduction, resource conservation, etc., can be expected. However, the number of times such a recording medium can be repeatedly used is finite; to secure reliability in recording data, the recording media need to be discarded within certain limits.
To use a large number of such recording media, for example, in a gaming house, the recording media may be replaced with new ones all together. However, this method requires collection of a large number of recording media and replacement of them all with new ones, which is labor consuming, and is not an easy method. Simultaneous replacement of recording media having different usage conditions introduces the following problem: When the recording media are considered individually, replacement of those frequently used is delayed; whereas replacement of those less frequently used is wasteful.
If such a problem can be solved, such recording media can be used not only in gaming houses, but also as tickets for parking lots and facilities, railway tickets, etc.